Go-cart.



UNITED Patented December 8, 1903.

. SPECIFICATION'- forming part of Letters Patent No. )746,190, dated December 8, 1903.

Application filed September 2l, 1908. Serial lio. 173,984. (No model.) l

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. SOUTHARD, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and .State of Ohio, have invented certain new and extended. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the body in its folded position. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail showing the manner of fastening the seat to the sides.

In the drawings, A is the seat, B and B' are the sides, C is the foot-rest, E is the back, and F is the handhold or pusher.

The seat is provided with a complementary rear extension A', and the sides are provided with complementary rear extensions B2 B3, respectively. These rearextensions are rigidly secured or framed together and to the pusher-bar in any suitable manner, so as to form a rigid body-frame, to which the other parts are secured in the following manner: The back is pivotally secured at its lower edge to this body-frame in any suitable mannerfor instance, as shown in the drawings, in which it is pivotally secured at E' to the side bars of the pusher, and a strap or bent bar F' is also pivotally secured to these side bars to form a stop for the back to rest against. The seat is hinged or pivotally secured to the forward edge of the seat extension in any suitable manner, which will permit the seat to be folded up vertically, the drawings showing a hinge-and-pintle con nection. The footrest is hinged to the front edge of the seat in any suitable manner that will permit it to'be folded upwardly. As shownin the drawings, the seat has eyes a secured to it, and the footrest is formed with lateral extensions b, engaging therein. Rear extensions o on the foot-rest hold the same in its norm al position 'when extended. The sides `B and B are hinged to the inner vertical edges of the cornplementary extensions B2 B5, respectively, in any suitable manner which permit of their being folded inward, the drawings showing ordinary hinges. l .I

To hold the seat and sides together when extended, suitable fastenings are employed. As shown in the drawings, plates d are let into the seat and are provided with slots, the inner ends of which are enlarged to' permit the entrance of a screw-headv or headed pin secured to and projecting from the lower edges of the sides, forming a well-known means for a detachable fastening.

For the purpose of folding the body into the most compact shape the lines of division between the rigid Aand foldable portions are in different planes-thatis, the division-line f between the seat and its rear extension and the division-lines ff2 between the sides and their rear extensions are in three parallel planes distant from each other equal to' about the thickness of the seat and the sides, respectively. Thus if in folding the side B' is first folded in, as shown in Fig.12, then the y side B, and next the seat the parts will alll compactly fold together one upon the other, and then by finally folding the foot-restup over the back it will lock the'parts together in their folded positions. To this end the footrest and the back are made narrow enough to pass between the side bars of the pusher, and the foot-rest is made rounding in shape, so as to lie closely over the top edge of the .back and interlock with it. If the hinge of the foot-rest is made suitably stiff,

the foot-rest will then prevent the partsfrom unfolding accidentally. The rigid body por-` tion formed by the rear extensions of the seat and sides and the pusher thus forms practically a receiving-pocket for the foldable portions, the foot-rest extending over it like a cover. l

' It will be understood that the body is to be mounted upon a folding running-gear; but as folding gears adapted to this style of folding body are well known in the art I have omitted to make any reference thereto.

It will be readily seen that my construction admits of the construction of a folding gocart, which embodies all'fthe advantages of a baby-carriage.

The folding featurev of the back may be Iool omitted, and the back may be made a part of the rigid body portion without interfering with the folding of the other parts, or the support F for the back may be made in any desired way which may permit of adjusting it to different inclines. The foot-rest may also be provided with means for holding it in different positions; but as these modications are so obviousand well understood and do not embody any novelty I have omitted to show the same in the drawings.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. A folding body for go-carts having a seat and sides formed with complementary rearextensions to which said seat and sides are respectively hinge-connected independently of each other and the space between which forms the receivingpocket into which they are adapted to be folded, and a pusher united to and forming with said rear extensions a rigid body-frame- 2. A folding body for gocarts having a seat and sides formed with com pleinentary rear extensions to which said seat and sides are hingeconnected free to fold upwardly and inwardly respectively, a pusher united to said rear extensions and forming in connection therewith a rigid body-frame into the space between which the sides and the seat are adapted to be folded and detachable fastenings between the forward ends of the seat and sides respectively.

3. A folding body for go-carts having a seat and sides formed with complementary rear extensions to the forward edges of which the seat and sides are hinged independently free to be folded upwardly and inwardly respectively, a pusher united to said rear extensions and formingin connection therewith a rigid bodyframe into the space between which the sides and the seat are adapted to be folded, detachable fastenings between the adjacent forward ends of the seat and sides, a back and a foot-rest hinge-connected to the front edge of the seat and adapted to interlock with the back in folding.

4. A folding body for go-carts having a seat and sides formed with complementary rear extensions constituting parts of a rigid bodyframe to the forward edges of which the seat and sides are hinge-connected independently of each other and free to be folded upwardly and inwardly respectively into the space formed between the rear extensions of the sides, the line of division between the seat and sides and their respective rear extensions being all formed in different planes parallel with each other.

5. A folding body for go-carts comprising a seat and sides formed with complementary rear extensions constituting parts of a rigid body portion to which said seat and sides are hinge-connected respectivelyfree to be folded into the space between the rear extensions of the sides, detachable fastenings between the adjacent front ends of the sides and the seat, a pusher having side bars secured into the rear extension of the seat and to which the rear extensions of the sides are connected and a back foldably supported between the side bars of the pusher and adapted to be folded into the space between the rear extern sion of the wings.

6. A folding body for gocarts comprising a seat and sides formed with complementary rear extensions constituting parts of a rigid body portion to which said seat and sides are independently connected free to be folded upwardly and inwardly respectively into the space formed between the rear extension of the sides, detachable fastenings between the adjacent front ends of the seat and sides, a pusher secured to and forming part 0f the rigid body portion, a back supported by said pusher, and a foot-rest hinge-connected to the front edge of the seat, said foot-rest adapted to interlock with the back in folding, substantially as described.

7. A folding body for go-carts comprising a seat and sides formed with complementary rear extensions constituting part of a rigid body portion to which said seat and sides are hinge-connected respectively free to fold upwardly and inwardly respectively into the space formed between said rear extensions, the line of divisions between said seat and sides and their respective extensions being formed in different parallel planes.

S. A folding body for go-carts comprising a seat and sides formed with complementary rear extensions constituting part of a rigid body portion to which said seat and sides are hinge-connected respectively free to fold upwardly and inwardly respectively into the space formed by said extensions, detachable connections between the adjacent front ends of the seat and sides, a pusher secured tothe rear extensions of the seat and sides, a foldable back supported by said pusher and a foot-rest hinge connected to the front edge of the seat, said foot-rest being curved and adapted to pass between the side bars of the pusher in folding and interlock with the upper portion of the back, substantially' as described.

9. A folding body for go-carts comprisinga seat and sides formed with complementary rear extensions constituting part of a rigid body portion to which said seat and sides are connected free to fold into the space formed by said extensions, a pusher secured to the rear extensions, a back supported by said pusher and a footrest pivotally connected to the front edgeof the seat all so arranged to form a pocket in which the foot-rest forms the locking-lid.

10. A folding body for go-carts havingaseat and sides formed with complementary rear extensions constituting part of a rigid body portion to which said seat is pivotally connected, said seat and sides being free to fold into the space formed by said extensions, a pusher secured to the rear extensions, a back IOO IIO

supporting said pusher and afoot-rest pivotl seat are adapted to be folded, a back, `@md a ally connected to the seat and forming a l foot-rest pivotally connected to the seat and locking-lid for the parts when in their folded adapted to form a locking-lid for the pocket position. formed .by the rear extensions of the sides, l5

11. Afolding body for go-cartshavingaseat seat and the back. and sides formed with complementary rear In testimony whereof I aix my signature extensions to the forward edge of which the in presence of two Witnesses. seat is pivotally connected, a pusher con- FRANK -E. SOUTHARD. nected to said rear extensions and forming in connection therewith a rigid body-frame into the space between which the sides and the Witnesses: MARTIN E. BOYER,

BERYL L. BOYER. 

